Toe holder

ABSTRACT

In sunbathing or the like, a bather&#39;&#39;s feet are held together by means which encircles the large toes or some other portions of each foot of the bather, which portion is adjacent the bather&#39;&#39;s toes. Without such a toe holder, a person&#39;&#39;s feet naturally spread apart so that the sun acts to a greater extent on the inner portions of the legs than the outer portions.

United States Patent 1 91 G reathouse [4 1 Jan. 23, 1973 1 TOE HOLDER [76] Inventor: Russell E. Greathouse, 872 North Medina Line Road, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio 44313 [22] Filed: May 10, 1971 [21] Appl.No.: 141,812

[52] US. Cl. ..ll9/96,128/81, 128/133,

' 128/134 [51] Int. Cl. .....A01k 29/00, A6lp 5/00, A6lp 13/00 [58] Field of Search ..119/96-,128/133,134, 81

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1939 Schenk Watkins ..128/133 267,877 11/1882 Gustaveson ..119/128 1,803,048 4/1931 Allen ..119/128 2,546,118 3/1951 Wright ...,128/133 X 2,650,590 9/1953 Moore et a1. ..128/134 3,234,936 2/1966 Levitt ..128/81 R Primary Examiner-Aldrich F. Medbery Attorney-Gordon C. Mack [57] ABSTRACT In sunbathing or the like, a bathers feet are held together by means which encircles the large toes or some other portions of each foot of the bather, which.

portion is adjacent the bathers toes. Without such a toe holder, a persons feet naturally spread apart so that the sun acts to a greater extent on the inner portions of the legs than the outer portions.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJANZIB I973 3,712,271

IN VENTOR.

RUSSELL E. GREATHOUSE BY ZM 4 J ATTORNEY Tom HOLDER This invention relates to a toe holder or similar device for holding ones feet together when sunbathing or the like, and it includes the process of applying the toe holder.

When a sunbather lies on his back his feet are not normally held perpendicular to the ground, but swing outward. As a result, the inner surfaces of the legs are subjected more intensely to the suns rays than the outer surfaces. By the use of a toe holder or similar device which holds the big toes adjacent one another a relatively uniform burning effect is obtainable.

The positioning of the feet can be effected by a socalled toe holder which fits over the big toes. This toe holder may resemble the figure 8 by providing an opening for each of the toes, or it may be an elongated device which holds the toes adjacent one another without providing any separating means between them. The toe holder may be of various designs, and may or may not be decorated. It may be made of metal, plastic, etc. Although presumably the device for holding the feet together is slipped over the large toes, it might include one or more adjacent toes on each foot.

It is not necessary that the toe holder provide preformed openings for portions of the feet because a strap (like a belt) may be made to encircle the toes and by tightening this, the feet will be brought together; or the strap may be made to encircle the feet adjacent the toes, and will bring the feet together when it is tightened. This strap may be made of cloth, leather, etc.

Regardless of the type of toe-holding device employed, it may be desirable to decorate it by embossing it or applying colored designs or the like to the outer surface, or by attaching decorating means thereto, or other decoration may be used.

The invention is further described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 shows the lower portion of a sunbather with a double-ring toe holder applied around the large toes of his bare feet;

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of this toe holder;

FIG. 3 is a section through the toe holder on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 shows a toe holder of an alternative design.

The toe holder shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 includes two rings 5 and 6 joined by the web 7. There is a small hole 8 through the web. This hole is not necessary but provides means for decorating the toe holder, and in the drawing the stem 10 of a flower (natural or artificial) is held in the opening 8.

As shown in FIG. 1, the toe holder is placed over the large toes of the sunbather and effectively holds the toes adjacent one another. Normally the heels also are relatively close together. The toe holder would be very uncomfortable if the heels were spread. As shown in FIG. 1, when the toes are held together and the sun shines directly on the tops of the legs, it burns or tans both the inner and outer side of each leg to the same extent. Without the toe holder, the toe portions of the feet tend to separate and expose the inner surface of the legs to greater action of the sun than their outside surfaces.

FIG. 4 is a modification in which an oval toe holder 12 is shown which is designed to be slipped over the large toe of each foot to hold these toes ad acent one another. A toe holder of this type may e relatively larger for a man than for a woman, and we refer more particularly to a teenage man and a teenage woman. Alternatively, one size may be used for each, and the woman may put her large toes and one or more adjacent toes into the toe holder rather than only the large toes.

Instead of using pre-formed toe holders, one might use a strap with tightenable means on it. This tightenable means may be of the type customarily found on belts for surrounding packages, etc. in which the tightening means grabs the strap regardless of how tight it is drawn around the package. A sunbather can put such a strap around his large toes and by use of the tightening means, tighten the grip around the toes and hold them together. Similarly, he may put a strap around his feet adjacent the toes-perhaps over the toes or near the instep, and by the tightenable means hold the large toes of his two feet adjacent one another. By use of a strap of this sort the position of the toe holder may be changed from time to time from a position nearer the toes to a position farther from them, so that the portion of the skin covered by the band is changed from time to time and thus no one portion of the skin is protected from the sun at all times, which would result in a white, unburned or untanned band portion which a sunbather would find objectionable.

Thus, any means for binding the feet or portions of the feet and holding the large toes adjacent one another may be utilized.

lclaim:

1. The method of holding the sides of ones respective large toes adjacent one another during sunbathing or the like which comprises placing rigid binding means about at least one toe on each foot and by said binding means holding the sides of ones respective large toes adjacent one another.

2. The method of claim 1 in which a double-ring toe holder is used with a different ring portion thereof placed over the large toe of each foot.

3. A toe holder which comprises two rigid rings each of a diameter such as to comfortably fit over a large human toe, the two diameters being substantially the same, the two rings beingjoined by a rigid web.

4. The toe holder of claim 3 which includes a hole through the web parallel to the openings in the rings. 

1. The method of holding the sides of one''s respective large toes adjacent one another during sunbathing or the like which comprises placing rigid binding means about at least one toe on each foot and by said binding means holding the sides of one''s respective large toes adjacent one another.
 2. The method of claim 1 in which a double-ring toe holder is used with a different ring portion thereof placed over the large toe of each foot.
 3. A toe holder which comprises two rigid rings each of a diameter such as to comfortably fit over a large human toe, the two diameters being substantially the same, the two rings being joined by a rigid web.
 4. The toe holder of claim 3 which includes a hole through the web parallel to the openings in the rings. 